There will be no XQD support on the A99!
The anonymous A99 tester that shared the info I posted yesterday read your comments and sent me some short answers:
1) He can’t talk about the Image Quality of the camera yet. Firmware is by far not mature enough to make a serious discussion about it
2) Same for video 🙂
3) The tester confirms that there is no CF nor XQD support.
4) The new hot shoe and the special connector are there to make older accessories work (like the Sony HVL-F56AM)
5) The camera has built-in GPS
Thanks again for all the info you sent us!!!
19 Responses
Still not 100% convinced! Show me OVF Sony!
You know, I was very sceptical about the EVF, but after all the benefits of the A-mount have won. And there is one more thing to stay with the A-mount. Sooner or later the cameras will become mirrorless and all will simply have to use EVF. Sony by that time will have the most experience and the best tech. After testing the EVF for some time I think its ok, perhaps only during night it lacks. Overall I think its acceptable and will only improve from now.
I disagree a little bit with whistler: I think the EVF is really fine during darkness. The only difficulties I’ve experienced are during bright sunshine. And that could be solved with an eyecup…
I can compare the EVF of my a55 to the OVFs of the 5D Mk II and the D3s – those are better but they are in another league! And in a dark club during a concert I love my EVF: having a bright image (with some noise of course) without disturbing my neighbourhood with the light from a display… I also can view the taken images in the EVF – also without disturbing my neighbourhood or being asked “can I see your photos?”.
And if I’m disappointed about my Sony I just take out my old Exakta Varex VX500 from the cupboard and do a look through its lighttube on the focusing screen – and wondering how I could make any photo with this kind of equipment in my early days…
After using an a900 again tonight I am convinced I will never go back to OVF anymore.. it’s so dark compared to the a77’s EVF…! EVF is the future~
I agree. After 35 years of OVF’s and 8 months with the A77, never an OVF for me again. It is THAT better overall. Less error and trial when taking shots, less time consuming. Less actuations for the better picture. I just love it. When going back to my A580 and A700 for a moment, I already grab the A77 right away.
Those complaining about the EVF didn’t use it for a couple of months. Otherwise they would know better. My two Nikon friends are dead jealous about my A77. If it wasn’t for their lenses, they already changed camp.
Now THAT’S funny, Alphamember! Lol..jealousy…imaginary friends, I guess?
I can understand to abandon CF (it’s an outdated standard nowadays) but not to not integrate XQD – a body like the A99 needs very fast cards!
Does anybody knows whether they have an USB 3.0 or an Ethernet interface integrated? It would make my live much easier and faster if just could connect a patch cable between notebook and camera and transfer the pictures with 1 GB/s without all this trouble to open the slot remove the card(s) and put them into an external card reader. External card reader because no modern notebook has a CF reader on board and the SD readers at least on Fujitsu Lifebooks are dammed slow. And so is USB 2.0…
And tethered shooting would also be a nice feature. It’s just a firmware thing no additional hardware needed. Together with Ethernet on the camera we could just hook up the camera to our LAN and control it from everywhere in the studio…
WLAN would also be a fine thing but there’s a problem: to be reliable an external antenna is needed! I’ve one of those Eyefi cards in my a55. Though the a55 has a plastic body the signal quality is really poor! With a magnesium body there is heavy shielding so the signal quality will go down further.
XQD is a format developed by Sony for Nikon.Even if it’s sold as a “standard” it has very little chance to ever be more than a very small niche market which will keep it expensive. It will be used only in expensive PRO cameras where users will pay because they need every bit of speed they can get (for an $ 8K pro camera you can spend another $1K for storage).
It looks like Sony designers are smart, two UHS-I SD slots are MUch more desirable than 1 SD + 1 XQD, belive me. Much cheaper and with proper cards close to the same speed, if the controller will support 100 MB/s as the bus does.
BS
It’s joined project of SanDisk, Sony and Nikon.
With Lexar joining the band recently
Meh!
He can’t comment on IQ?
FW makes a difference on IQ?
I went LOL right there …
Something tells me we’re in for a big letdown again (regarding IQ at least).
Not supporting top-of-the line memory just goes to show that SONY has no real wish to be a top player. Just an “also-ran”. Shame really. And for all wishing to diss me saying the A77 has top-notch IQ, yeah it does, when you overexpose at ISO 100.
I have BIF photos at ISO200 made with auto metering, that have more noise than the A700 at ISO800.
I’ll be very surprised if it turns out better. But all the signs point the other way for now.
Cheers!
It’s quite obvious that software makes a huge difference in camera output. Even in RAW mode (that’s a remark for those living in fantasy world where manufaxturers don’t mess with RAWs). What he says makes a perfect sense.
But I wouldn’t expect anything much better then D800. I don’t think it’ll even match D800, although I’d love if it would do so.
So.. The worst-case scenario seem to happen.
If author of the rumor reads it – is a new hotshoe a standard one, like in Canon cameras? Or is it something completly new? Any clues what’s the reason for change of standard (besides greed that is)?
Any info on the FPS rate?
It sounds to me like the tester is not a usual Sony or Minolta shooter, and that they’re describing the familiar (to us) iISO shoe that Sony uses, but from the outsider’s perspective. This detail of the rumor is actually the detail that lends it the most credibility.
However, I clearly remember the “102 AF point” thing being an April fools joke of some vintage, and I find it amusing that it has been so widely accepted that the rumor mill has sent it back around again to be taken seriously.
If Sony aren’t serious about cameras why even bother with FF.
Just continue to make APS-c A/Emount cameras and sell FF sensors to Nikon.
Oh and XQD cards too.
so close to a77 features with little upgrade on af focus point and iso numbers.
I sometimes wonder if Sony releases different prototypes to testers with certain functionality disabled to focus on a smaller range of tests. If so, I wonder if they keep track of the differing specs of the prototypes so if there is a leak they can narrow down who the leaker is.
I wonder if Sony are that smart.
😉
Should have XQD card. This is a card pioneered by Sony but Sony’s best camera to date will not use it. Does not seem to make any sense. The SLT’s advantage is in some aspects of focusing and fps. Today’s SD cards do not seem to maximize this advantage. It simply does not make any sense to me.
I also don’t know why the built in flash was removed. The weather seal argument would seem a little week since the 77 is weather sealed or would it be a better weather seal without it. If you have it and simply want to use hot shoe with 58, flash bracket or radio trigger you can. However, if you wanted to use a few wireless off shoe speed lights and TTL, the in-camera flash could act as a trigger so you are not wasting one of you nice speed lights as the trigger. I have two 58’s and a 42. If I fool around with this set up on my 850 I have to use one of the 58’s as the trigger. Plus in a pinch if you are not carrying a speed light or reflector and you need a little fill you are out of luck. Plus it would be cool if they had a powerful in camera flash that the head could tilt to bounce flash. Do they have that. It seems that there is no downside to having it.
Built in GPS – Cool but since the 77 had it one would almost expect the same for the next FF. I just hope it is good and not a gimmick that half the time cannot locate where you are.
I have a concern with the fact the software is not quite up to snuff to evaluate the images yet. Seem awful close to announcement to not have this tied down. Plus when using the prototypes wouldn’t that be one of the judgements about how the camera is working. How else can you tell if the speed and accuracy of the focusing is working well. I can see the announcement. Here is our next great camera. Wait to see the photos this thing can take. Seriously, wait to see.
I am just hoping for greatness since I am 99% sure this is my next camera.
By the way the hot shoe needs some quality improvements. Besides always needing adapters for triggers and such given the oddity of its interface, the plastic crap is not worthy for their big guns. Flashes wobble causing unnecessary torque on the flash and hot shoe. Already broke a piece on one one of my 58’s.